Football hooliganism is hooliganism by football club supporters. It sometimes takes place immediately before or after football matches.

It first appeared in the late 1800s, when gangs of supporters would intimidate neighborhoods, as well as attack referees and opposing supporters and players. Football hooliganism started attracting widespread media attention in the 1950s, due to its re-emergence in Latin America.

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Latin America

Football hooliganism first emerged in Latin America in the late 1950s as rival fan clubs battled it out after hotly disputed games. Argentina and Brazil have had a long standing problem with soccer related violence, particularly in the 1960s and early 1970s. Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Chile have also witnessed strife recently. There have been several crackdowns on this sort of behavior since the late 1970s due to pressure by international and domestic football associations. Argentina and Brazil are all well known for their conflicts and hostile pitch invasions.[1][2][3][4] These pitch invasions often involve flares, riot police and tear gas.

El Salvador and Honduras had a brief, but notorious conflict called the 1969 Soccer War, due to a game that inflamed an already tense political situation. The game did not actually cause the war, but it did cause relations between locals and migrants from the two nations to break down.[5]

Western Europe

Denmark

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England

Football hooliganism in England is believed to have started at the end of the nineteenth century, when people often described as "roughs" caused minor disturbances.[6] By the 1960s, hooliganism had become a more serious problem.[7] This led the government to respond with the 1968 Public Order Act, which, amongst other provisions, allowed the courts to ban offenders from football grounds.[6] The term English Disease is sometimes used to describe football hooliganism.[8].

In the 1960s, when fighting at football was commonplace in the United Kingdom, British police would be on the lookout for fans wearing skinhead fashions or cheap work wear. In response, many hardcore hooligans started to wear more expensive gentlemen's clothing brands (sometimes looted from designer boutiques during riots in European competitions). This led to the development of the casualsubculture. Brands popular with casuals have included: Burberry, Ben Sherman, Polo Ralph Lauren, Stone Island, Aquascutum and Paul & Shark. Now the wearing of such clothing at football matches is more likely to attract, than repel police attention.

In 1985, the Heysel Stadium disaster resulted in 39 Juventus supporters being crushed to death when a fence separating them from Liverpool fans collapsed, leading to a violent confrontation.[9]
The spotlight was quickly turned on football hooliganism, with English clubs banned from European competitions until 1990 (with Liverpool banned an extra year).[10] It was not until the Hillsborough disaster (in which 96 fans died due to a failure of police to control a large crowd, coupled with poor safety standards) that the Margaret Thatcher government acted, bringing in the Football Spectators Act (1989) in the wake of the Taylor Report.[11] However, as the Hillsborough Justice Campaign notes, "the British Judicial system has consistently found that violence or hooliganism played no part whatsoever in the disaster".[12]

English and German fans have had a longstanding rivalry, and began to riot against each other in the late 1980s. This subsequently brought English and German fans' reputations to an all time low in the late 1990s.[13][14][15][16][17][18]
Other occasional clashes have also occurred with a few other teams since the mid 1980s.[19]France 98 was marred by violence as English fans clashed with the MuslimNorth African locals of Marseille, which led to up to 100 fans being arrested.[20]

In the 2000s, English football hooligans often wear clothing styles that are stereotypically associated with the chav subculture, such as those from the labels Prada and Burberry. This has encouraged the two companies to withdraw certain garments over fears that their brands are becoming linked with hooliganism.[21] English hooligans have become more advanced in the way they plan their fights, often using Internetmessage boards, mobile phones and text messages. These hooligans often post messages on other hooligan sites to tempt rival gangs into meeting up for fights.[22] Sometimes people at the fights post live commentaries on the Internet.[23]

Football violence in stadiums declined domestically since the introduction of the Football Spectators Act, and in the 2000s much of the trouble has instead occurred away from grounds and at major international tournaments.[7] At Euro 2000, the England team was threatened with expulsion from the tournament, due to the poor behaviour of the fans.[24] Following good behaviour in Korea-Japan 2002 and Portugal 2004, the English reputation has improved.[25]
At the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, there were limited incidences of violence, with over 200 preventative arrests in Stuttgart (with only three people being charged with criminal offences).[26] However, 400 others were taken into preventative custody.[27] During that day, Police believe that on average each rioter consumed or threw 17 litres of alcohol.[27]

It has been documented that most English hooligans are in their late teens or early twenties, although it is not uncommon for older hooligans to take part (usually as leaders). They usually come from working class backgrounds, mainly employed in manual or lower clerical occupations, or (to a lesser extent) are working in the grey market or are unemployed.[7]

France

On May 24, 2001, six supporters of French club Paris St. Germain attacked Galatasaray supporters before a Champions League match. The six, who are members of an official PSG fan club, were charged with assault, carrying weapons, throwing missiles on the pitch, and racism-related charges. The investigation, led by Parisian judge Jean-Batpiste Parlos, alleged that the six had deliberately entered the part of the Parc des Princes stadium where French supporters of Turkish origin were standing in order to attack them. Fifty people were injured during a melee between Turkish and French fans at a match between Turkish club Galatasaray and Paris Saint-Germain of France. Footage from surveillance cameras at Parc des Princes stadium helped investigators to identify the fans involved in the violence, the sources said.[32][33]

Security, media and the club administration of Paris St. Germain were reported as attempting to cover this up, and made accusations including that the Turkish supporters at the match — despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered — were able to inflict large numbers of casualties upon the French supporters while taking on only one casualty themselves. It was later reported that stadium security allowed French supporters to carry in staves, while confiscating flags from Turkish supporters — apparently in an attempt to allow armed French supporters to attack Turkish supporters.[32][33]

Interviews with gang members, and repeated visits to the stadium for PSG games, found that racist hooligans operate openly and with almost total impunity at the 43,000-seat grounds. That stadium hosted some matches during the 1998 World Cup, which France won with a team dominated by players from former colonies in Africa.[34]

Before a home game against Sochaux on January 4, 2006, two Arab youths were punched and kicked by white fans outside the entrance to the Kop de Boulogne. Ushers, all white, stood chatting and did not intervene. On March 7, 2006, a Paris court convicted three PSG supporters for unfurling a racist banner at a February 2005 match.[34]

PSG’s hooligan problem seriously escalated against the backdrop of the club’s success in Europe in the 1990s. The club reached the 1995 Champions League semifinals, won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1996, and lost the final the following year. PSG hooligans made their mark by brawling with opposing hooligans from Juventus, Arsenal, Anderlecht, Glasgow Rangers, Liverpool and Bayern Munich. In September 2004, a 150-strong PSG mob attacked around 50 Chelsea hooligans (known as the Headhunters) near Porte de Saint-Cloud Metro station.
After Paris Saint-Germain's second round of UEFA Cup group match against Hapoel Tel Aviv, on November 24, 2006, which they lost 4-2, hooligans from non-recognized groups in Boulogne, associated with far-right, racism and antisemitism, used violence as a mean of showing discontent of the team's defeat, in conjunction with the club's poor domestic league, and the fact to be beaten by an Israeli team, a group of supporters theratened a fan of Hapoel Tel Aviv and a black policeman came to defend the fan. The hooligans stared derogatory phrases against the policeman, who, after firing tear gas, shot twice with his gun and killed a PSG fan and wounded another one.[34][35]

Germany

German football hooliganism started at about the same time as the English phenomenon but has never become as widespread as in England, although German fans severely injured a French police officer during rioting at the World Cup in France 1998. German authorities, like Italian, have often been accused of trying to down play incidents of football related violence. In recent years, acts of hooliganism have been concentrated among supporters of eastern German football clubs and lower league or amateur clubs around the country. German authorities have now reduced its prevalence with tougher laws.[36][37][38][39]

Italy

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Hooliganism in Italy started in the 1970s, and increased in the 1980s and 1990s. It grew in the early 2000s, becoming a serious problem for Italian football. Italian ultras have very well organized groups that fight against other football supporters and the Italian Police and Carabinieri, using also knives and baseball bats at many matches of Serie A and lower championships.

On 4 April, 2007 AS Roma and Manchester United fans were involved in clashes during UEFA Champions League match. Roma and Manchester United fans were seperated in one area of the ground by a plastic barrier, with riot police positioned only on the English fans side. After each goal both sets of fans surged toward the barrier, with at one stage the riot police repeatedly striking Manchester United fans with batons and shields. No Roma fans were similarily striked by the riot police as they had no presence on the Roma fans side of the barrier. One Manchester United fan was stabbed on his way to the match, and eleven fans taken to hospital. Two Roma fans also received hospital treatment. Despite UEFA promising to investigate the incident, and the British Home Office Minister, Vernon Coaker, calling for answers to whether the Italian police were justified, the head of Rome police, Achille Serra, claimed that the police action was justified and that there would be no inquiry, unless he was shown evidence of alleged police brutality. And this, despite live TV pictures during the match, showing riot police apparently indiscriminately hitting and beating Manchester United fans whilst taking no action against Roma fans.[41]

Netherlands

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Portugal

Football riots were very common in Portugal during the 1990s and early 2000s . Football hooliganism in that country has decreased since then, but there have still been some incidents, mainly involving
supporters of FC Porto, Sporting CP, SL Benfica and Vitória de Guimarães.
Violence it is more common in the lower divisions.

As in Italy politics has a strong influence in hooliganism. Frequently the teams have supporter's firms linked to extremist ideologies.

In 1998, a supporter of Real Sociedad was killed by an ultra of Atlético de Madrid linked to a neo-nazi group, just before a match between these two teams.

In 2003, a supporter of Deportivo La Coruna was killed in riots by hooligans supporting the same team, because he attempted to protect a supporter of the opposing team, SD Compostela. Since then, authorities have attempted to get hooliganism more under control.

In 2007, there were acts of hooliganism before a match between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid with several cars destroyed and policemen injured by flares and bottles which where thrown at them.[46]

Violence is more common in the lower divisions, where security measures are worse.

Sweden

Hooliganism in Scandinavia became a growing problem in the 1980s, but pitch invasions and violence in direct connection to the football grounds decreased in the late 1990s. Organized football firms took on the role of troublemakers in Scandinavian football, moving the problem relatively far away from the grounds and the regular supporters.

Hooliganism is said to have made the entrance in Sweden when supporters of IFK Göteborg invaded the pitch, destroyed the goalposts and fought the police in the end of a 1970 football match that destined the club to be relegated from the highest league. In the end of the 1970s, inspired by the English football culture, many unruly supporter groups were created, including Djurgårdens IF's Blue Saints, AIK's Black Army and Hammarby IF's Bajen Fans. Nowadays, these supporter clubs are quite friendly. The biggest firms in Sweden are at the moment Djurgårdens Fina Grabbar (Djurgården), Firman Boys (AIK), Wisemen (IFK Gothenburg), Frontline (Helsingborg) and Kompisgänget Bajen (Hammarby). The word huliganism was established in the Swedish language as a description of sports-related violence in the early 1980s.[47][48]

Switzerland

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Football riots with extreme fans and ultras are a relatively new phenomena in this country. One infamous incident occurred on the last day of the 2005-06 season, when FC Zürich defeated FC Basel at St. Jakob Park to win the championship with a last-minute goal. Basel were just seconds away from defending their title. After the final whistle, angry Basel hooligans stormed the field and attacked Zürich players. The Zürich team were forced to celebrate in the upper deck of the stands while the rioting continued down below. There was similar chaos in the streets that night. See 2006 Basel Hooligan Incident.

Turkey

According to the Turkish Daily News, hooligan groups are well organised, have their own "leaders", and often consist of organised street fighters. These groups have a "racon" (code of conduct), which states that the intention must be to injure rather than kill and that a stab must be made below the waist.[49] Other hooligans have fired firearms into the air to celebrate their team’s victory, which has been known to accidentally kill innocent people watching the celebrations on their balconies.[50][51]

In 2006, the Turkish Football Federation introduced new measures to combat the threat of hooliganism and have made new regulations that allow the Professional Football Disciplinary Board to fine clubs up to YTL 250,000 for their fans behavior. Repeat offenders could be fined up to YTL 500,000.[53] Despite reports from the Turkish Football Federation, the Turkish police believe that football hooliganism is not a major threat and are "isolated incidents".[54]

Before Galatasaray’s semi-final UEFA Cup match with Leeds United AFC in 2000, two Leeds fans, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, were stabbed to death in Istanbul following street fights between Turkish and British hooligans.[49] UEFA allowed the game to proceed and Galatasaray won 2-0.

Leeds complained because home fans jeered while a message of condolence was read for the victims.[55] Galatasaray's players refused to wear black arm bands. The Leeds chairman at the time, Peter Ridsdale, accused Galatasaray of "showing a lack of respect".[56] He also revealed that his teams' players had received death threats before the match.[57]

Ali Umit Demi was arrested and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for the stabbing, but the sentence was reduced to 5 years on the basis of heavy provocation, while five others were given lesser sentences of under four months.[54] The families of those accused of attacking with knives are reported to have defended their actions and approved of their children punishing the "rude British people".[49]

Galatasaray fans were banned from traveling to the return match to try and avoid further clashes between fans, although there were reports of attacks by Leeds fans on Turkish television crews and the police.[58] However the Assistant Chief Constable in charge of policing the game believed that the number of arrests was "no worse than a normal high category game".[58]

Hakan Şükür was hit with projectiles from Leeds United supporters and the Galatasaray team bus was stoned after driving through an underpass. The game saw Emre Belözoğlu and Harry Kewell sent off and Galatasaray sealed their way to the final with a 2-2 score.

Violence also occurred between Arsenal fans and Galatasaray fans before the Final in Copenhagen[59] in which a Galatasary fan, an Arsenal fan and a Dane were said to have been stabbed.[60] Galatasaray later won the match after a penalty shoot-out.

Wales

Many hooligan fights have occurred in Cardiff during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly due to their infamous Soul Crew. In 2002, Cardiff City was linked to hooliganism because of trouble after matches with Leeds, Stoke and Swansea, and for a number of years has had more fans banned from games than any other team in the English leagues. Swansea City also has a history of violence between them and Cardiff, Millwall and Nottingham Forest. For example, in October 2006 Swansea played Millwall at home and beat them 2-0. After the match Swansea didn't get hassled with Millwall fans but with the police who wouldn't let them past. High security is now placed in the Liberty Stadium with the main link road being closed after mainmatches.[61][62]
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Russia

Football hooliganism has become prevalent in Russia since the beginning of the 2000s. The usual victims of Russian hooligans are supporters of Japanese, Polish and Ukrainian teams. Russian hooligans often have an underlying racist resentment towards Russia's perceived political rivals.[64][65][66][67]

Asia

Bangladesh

Football violence started in Bangladesh around the early 2000s. Hardline fans occasionally clash, but it's not on the same scale as in Europe or Latin America.[74]
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China

China has started to have football hooligans in the 2000s. Chinese authorities have harshly dealt with hooliganism.[75][76][77]
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Israel and the Palestinian Territories

In the 2000s, the Middle East crisis has spilled over into sporadic riots between Israeli and Palestinian or Egyptian football fans.
There are also riots in many matches beetween Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin FC, because the first team is more related with Jewish people and the second with Arabs and the match shows the conflict beetween those groups.[78]
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North Korea

There was a brief riot between Iranian and North Korean fans at an international match in 2005. It appears that a North Korean player got into an argument with the Syrian referee, and then things got out of hand, stadium seats were threw into the pitch, there was a pitch invasion and the fans rioted the police.[79]